The combination of community, service, and academics are what stand out to me about [being a] Thresher. With small classes, attentive professors, and the focus on service…students get the opportunity to excel in multiple areas.Cassidy McFadden ’12

Limerick book launch a smashing success

NORTH NEWTON, KAN. -- The official kickoff of A BC ABC Book: Bethel College of Kansas in Art and Rhyme during Fall Festival weekend, with a convocation presentation and a launch party at Mojo’s Coffee Shop, was a rousing success, with most of the books being sold.

“We had a full house at Mojo’s for the launch party on Friday evening, Oct. 4,” said Susan Bartel, North Newton, one of the book planners. “The event was emceed with verve by Raylene Hinz-Penner and the limericks were performed whimsically and seriously by a group of readers, while Rich Toevs added inventive piano improvisation using as a music score the words of and illustrations for the limericks.”

Four hundred fifty books went on sale at 6 p.m. Oct. 4, and by the same time the next day, 413 had sold. As of Oct. 23, there were 16 left, but 200 more have been ordered and should be available by mid- to late November.

To purchase A BC ABC Book, contact Margo Schrag at Thresher Bookstore in Schultz Student Center -- in writing at 300 E. 27th St., North Newton, KS 67117; by phone at 316-284-5205 (for credit card orders); or by e-mail at bookstore@bethelks.edu. The books are $20. They are also for sale at Mojo’s.

Profits from book sales go to the Bethel College Women’s Association, which will use the funds for improvements at the college.

A BC ABC Book has been described by readers and purchasers as a wonderful and varied portrait of Bethel College and as a gem of a book, said Berneil Rupp Mueller, North Newton, another one of the book planners.

The third member of the book committee, Valerie Klaassen, Whitewater, said the book would make a great Christmas present or a gift for any other celebration.

Several pieces of the original art done by alumni artists and used as illustrations in the book also sold after being on display at Mojo’s throughout the month of October.

A companion volume is also available. BC from A to Z is a compilation of the approximately 180 other limericks submitted to the BCWA limerick contest. The book sells for $10 and is 8 1/2 by 11 inches with a comb binding. It also can be purchased at Thresher Bookstore.

Bartel and Rupp Mueller, along with four artists and four writers, first presented A BC ABC Book during an Oct. 4 convocation with the theme of “Creativity.”

“Susan and I told how the book came into being,” Rupp Mueller said. “The eight contributors talked about their individual creations for the book and their own ideas on creativity, and a PowerPoint presentation illustrated the theme with quotations and images.”

Bethel College is the only private college in Kansas listed in the 2012-13 Forbes.com analysis of premier colleges and universities in the United States and ranks in the top five “Best Baccalaureate Colleges” in the Washington Monthly annual college guide for 2012-13. The four-year liberal arts college is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu.

Back to News An alphabet book about Bethel College, written in limericks and illustrated with art by alumni, had nearly sold out 24 hours after it was introduced during Fall Festival. …